The only reason this album is not a 10/10 is because the singles are not at all a re-visitation, and lazy lyrics. The rest of the album is completely amazing, I felt a lot of nostalgia listening to this album "Bad Guy", the "Stan" sequel is beautiful. The beats, all of them together give the album a unique feel. And what I like is his ability to rap over old songs, showing his ability toThe only reason this album is not a 10/10 is because the singles are not at all a re-visitation, and lazy lyrics. The rest of the album is completely amazing, I felt a lot of nostalgia listening to this album "Bad Guy", the "Stan" sequel is beautiful. The beats, all of them together give the album a unique feel. And what I like is his ability to rap over old songs, showing his ability to rap over anything. Best album since The Eminem Show.…Expand

Eminem is one of the greatest there is. This album is a mess though. He keeps saying it's "not a sequel" that makes NO sense what so ever then. Why call it MARSHALL MATHERS LP 2? The beats are unbelievably bad for about half the album. If you're an actual hip-hop fan and a fan of Eminem do yourself a huge favor and get the deluxe album cause the bonus tracks are better than just aboutEminem is one of the greatest there is. This album is a mess though. He keeps saying it's "not a sequel" that makes NO sense what so ever then. Why call it MARSHALL MATHERS LP 2? The beats are unbelievably bad for about half the album. If you're an actual hip-hop fan and a fan of Eminem do yourself a huge favor and get the deluxe album cause the bonus tracks are better than just about anything on the actual album. Getting back to the actual album the samples are just confusing and irritating half the time... A LYNARD SNYNARD SAMPLE??? REALLY MARSHALL? What are you Kid Rock? Or maybe Eminem thinks he's Drake (Stronger Than I Was) whoever he thinks he is, he needs to stop it. How do you screw up a track with a Kendrick Lamar feature? Eminem figured it out, that song is unbearable. It sounds like a Smash Mouth song. However it's not all bad... Evil Twin, Brainless, Rap God, and even The Monster will all remind you why you like Marshall, and make you wish the rest of the album was like them.…Expand

MMLP2 was supposed to be a re-vistitation to the classic MMLP, and in some regards I can see that. Especially considering/comparing the content (or lack there of) would be one similarity. But that would be about it. The Rick Rubin tracks stick out like eye-sores (sounding almost like Kid Rock songs), songs with the singing hooks all sound the same and the reliance on the "me against theMMLP2 was supposed to be a re-vistitation to the classic MMLP, and in some regards I can see that. Especially considering/comparing the content (or lack there of) would be one similarity. But that would be about it. The Rick Rubin tracks stick out like eye-sores (sounding almost like Kid Rock songs), songs with the singing hooks all sound the same and the reliance on the "me against the struggle" theme was done to death on his previous albums. Even Kendrick Lamar's appearence on a track couldn't save that pile of steaming poop. So whats left? Eminem's lyrical skills mostly save this album. 4 tracks are nice. Overall a bit disappointed.…Expand

I gotta say this has been one of the most highly anticipated albums by far, since 2011 maybe... Because when you're talking about Eminem you always wonder "what's next?"

Eminem is a lyrical genius indeed, he has always been so talented, but ever since his comeback in 2009, his technique has been skyrocketing, raising the bar of competition record after record. so when the news came thatI gotta say this has been one of the most highly anticipated albums by far, since 2011 maybe... Because when you're talking about Eminem you always wonder "what's next?"

Eminem is a lyrical genius indeed, he has always been so talented, but ever since his comeback in 2009, his technique has been skyrocketing, raising the bar of competition record after record. so when the news came that his album is coming close, I believe every fan and critic in this industry has been patiently waiting for something that's gonna blow his minds up... Relapse was really great compared to Encore (his last album before his hiatus), Recovery blew everybody's minds up, he excelled in his Bad Meets Evil EP; so coming to know MMLP2 was, you had to be excited.

Eminem chose to do a sequel of his greatest of all time, best selling album "The Marshall Mathers LP", I always have a bad feeling about sequels to epic art masterpieces, specially in music, because you can never separate the sequel from the original one, you'll always find yourself comparing. Take Raekwon for instance, he tried this in "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Part II" which is a very good album, but every time you compare it to the 95 "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." you'll find the sequel lacking.

Here Eminem is not just doing a sequel for this particular album, you can actually find him "sequel-ing" every hit he did, whether it was on Marshall Mathers LP (Bad Guy is a sequel to Stan, "Rhyme or Reason" is a sequel to Criminal) or on other albums (Brainless Brain Damage, Stronger than I was Kim, So Far every track he did about his mother)

But on the other hand, this album is different than the original Marshall Mathers LP; instead of embracing his own alter-ego, he's trying to battle it, being more apologetic about it and about the tracks that he did back then, specially the ones regarding his own personal life... Eminem's a very clever artist, because he knows that right at this stage of his life, right now, nobody would want to hear a 41 years old rapper clowning about his mother and toying with murdering his wife, in the tracks "Headlight" and "Stronger than I was" you get to witness a more mature version of Eminem (often apologetic), so it was actually nice and unexpected.
But if you kinda miss the old crazy version of Eminem, you won't miss it too much (Brainless Rap God)

Eminem is not only reinvesting in his legacy, but the choice of Rick Rubin as a producer made him also reinvest in the legacy of hip-hop in general, Rick Rubin has provided Eminem with those throwback beats that will always get you back to an era of legends like Beastie Boys or Run D.M.C, Eminem is clever enough to use this just to make sure that all the nowadays rappers know where he's coming from.

On the last album (particularly the track "You're Never Gone"), he promised his deceased friend Proof: instead of mourning your death, I’d rather celebrate your life
Elevate to new height, step on the gas and accelerate, I'mma need 2 mics", A promise which he have totally fulfilled, with his mastery of the wordplay, and his sick multi-syllabic rhyme schemes, and an incredible flow that'll blow your minds off (check how he reached the Nirvana of flow in Rap God, and he did that as easy as flexing a muscle), he has -unlike Kanye West's I am God- proven that he's the best lyricist in this business by far.

Yet, the album is still lacking something, the production is not as you might expect it to be, take one of the most anticipated tracks for instance "Love Game", you expect this to become a mash-up of two of the best rappers in this business, some kind of a torch-passing.. but all you get is a swaying, 1950s-era rockabilly beat consisting of a Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders sample, which is completely out of context, the track is completely trash, the kind of music, the emphasis on music themes from his old albums were alright, but not really impressive.

So put simply, the album is okay, but you have to expect more from a rapper like Eminem, but you're never really sure of what exactly to expect because what you get from this album is basically a great man who's facing an identity crisis: he knows he's the best but he's still afraid of being too out-of-date, he knows that his legacy and his background made him what he is, yet he wants to start fresh and clear the past. And you get this feeling because he's such a great songwriter. You'll get to enjoy his lyrical skills and his lacerating wordplay, yet you'll hate most of the production mixed to that.

The highlights of the album are tracks like "The Monster", the flow of "Rap God", the throwback in "Berzerk", the crazy beat on "Brainless", the power in "Rhyme or Reason", the DJ Khalil rock laced beat in "Survival". That's about it, you can't be that impressed about the rest of the album.…Expand

With this new album I can't do it as a whole, but it was not what I would be expecting in 2011/2012 time. I will do a breakdown of every song.

Bad Guy: Bad beat okay rap weak lyrics 5/10
Rhyme or Reason: Good beat good flow okay lyrics 7/10
So Much Better: Bad beat okay rap okay lyrics 6/10
Survival: Good beat good rap badWith this new album I can't do it as a whole, but it was not what I would be expecting in 2011/2012 time. I will do a breakdown of every song.

some good tracks, a lot of awful tracks. the production is lacklustre and far too many tracks are ruined by generic pop hooks that are far too recovery-esque and not the "vintage slim" that was promised. whilst many of the songs demonstrate em's technical ability and flow, he isn't really talking about anything new and for 41 year old the album sounds very immature and puerile.

Update: I'll say after listening to this album on day one on iTunes, this album from Marshall Mathers is definitely a treasure for all those veteran fans and something new for recent fans who discovered him through the "Recovery" LP. This album is by far very creative in its instrumentals and quite lyrical in all the tracks, including the deluxe edition. It shows how Eminem hasn't lostUpdate: I'll say after listening to this album on day one on iTunes, this album from Marshall Mathers is definitely a treasure for all those veteran fans and something new for recent fans who discovered him through the "Recovery" LP. This album is by far very creative in its instrumentals and quite lyrical in all the tracks, including the deluxe edition. It shows how Eminem hasn't lost touch at what he's good at regarding to his musicianship. But, there are flaws in this album and those flaws are the badly transitioned tracks which would of served better if there were skits like the "Parking Lot (Skit)" track to bridge between different tones, or themes. There is that occasional mismatch in the choruses in nearly every song on this album, and it must be taken as an experiment.…Expand

oh man this iffy ok. well the lyrics are somewhat powerful but some are so boring and lame! the good ones are berserk hole and headlights and the monster, berserk is rad and old school, is a great take on the album and with Skylar grey, headlights is my favorite its about that he loves his mom but that she did up and its powerful as hell. but lets be honest there are some STUPIDoh man this iffy ok. well the lyrics are somewhat powerful but some are so boring and lame! the good ones are berserk hole and headlights and the monster, berserk is rad and old school, is a great take on the album and with Skylar grey, headlights is my favorite its about that he loves his mom but that she did up and its powerful as hell. but lets be honest there are some STUPID SONGS!!!!!! such as everything I did not just list. there are some mean lyrics im not offended by his music but he is calling people and retards for no ****ing reason. he used to have deep meaning full insults, but we just got screwy crappy bully lines. ok for example Im 13 I get called names like and retard but I don't expect a 40 year old ****ing man too say it its stupid with no rhyme or reason get it? I guess its well produced though but most of this is garbage and its a terrible buy. WTF IS THIS …Expand

The best Eminem album since "The Eminem Show." Unfortunately, it doesn't reach the levels of lyricism and personality that "TES" and the first "MMLP". Eminem still hasn't gotten back the talent for storytelling that made him a rap superstar. But, on the bright side, some of the tracks on this LP like "Bad Guy" or "Rhyme or Reason" wouldn't feel out of place next to "Stan" and "Real SlimThe best Eminem album since "The Eminem Show." Unfortunately, it doesn't reach the levels of lyricism and personality that "TES" and the first "MMLP". Eminem still hasn't gotten back the talent for storytelling that made him a rap superstar. But, on the bright side, some of the tracks on this LP like "Bad Guy" or "Rhyme or Reason" wouldn't feel out of place next to "Stan" and "Real Slim Shady." On the flip side, singles like "Survival" and "Rap God" wouldn't feel out of place on "Recovery." In fact, the first single, "Berserk," is one of the worst Eminem songs since "Mockingbird" cheesed up "Encore." While MMLP2 hasn't made an impact on me at all, it's still interesting to listen to, despite Mather's unfruitful attempts to "take it back to straight hip-hop."…Expand

Where do you start with Eminem career... It has its ups and downs. Sure he's one of the best diss rappers out there but lacks direction on most of his tracks other than his emotional ones. Unfortunately when Eminem releases a poor album his army of fans will defend it to the end of the earth. Here's the thing. This album is good. It is nowhere near the best album of 2013, no matter howWhere do you start with Eminem career... It has its ups and downs. Sure he's one of the best diss rappers out there but lacks direction on most of his tracks other than his emotional ones. Unfortunately when Eminem releases a poor album his army of fans will defend it to the end of the earth. Here's the thing. This album is good. It is nowhere near the best album of 2013, no matter how much his fans say it is. This feels like what should have been an EP, because Eminem doesn't have a consistent and solid track list. The singles and the intro are the best part of the album. The rest ranges from sub par (for Eminem) to the deafeningly awful "Stronger than I Was". I know this is a new Eminem and this isn't gonna be SSLP Eminem, but I feel like this album, similar to Relapse, was rushed to shelves. All that said, this album is dope, flow wise. The beats, lyrics, and production... I just was not feeling it. This is his best work since TES, but I just expect more…Expand

This album is better than the heaping piles of **** that Shady released between 2002-2010, but it still isn't that good. Every hook on here is terrible, and it just so happens that the best track, "Evil Twin" doesn't have a hook. Eminem has always been terrible at making hooks, so it's not like I was surprised. Some of the verses are alright. Four songs in a row, "So Much Better",This album is better than the heaping piles of **** that Shady released between 2002-2010, but it still isn't that good. Every hook on here is terrible, and it just so happens that the best track, "Evil Twin" doesn't have a hook. Eminem has always been terrible at making hooks, so it's not like I was surprised. Some of the verses are alright. Four songs in a row, "So Much Better", "Survival", **** and "Legacy" all sound like Recovery throwaways (see my review of Recovery and you'll know how I feel). "Stronger Than I Was" and "The Monster" are god awful. Just terrible. I will say that even though I wasn;t huge on part 1 of "Bad Guy", the second part was pretty epic. "Rhyme or Reason" is the runner-up to "Evil Twin" for the best track on the album. The last four tracks is the best part of the album, so I'm glad he at least gave a strong finish on the album.

I didn't include the 5 bonus tracks on the deluxe edition of the album, because that probably would have lowered my grade from a 6.5 to at least a 5.5.

This is the follow up to his widely popular and best-selling Marshall Mathers LP and it lives up to the name. At first I was very unsure about this album but it slowly grew on me after a few listens. Right from the beginning the songs make it feel like this album is in fact a sequel unfortunately it isn't perfect but very few sequels are. The production value on a handful of songs areThis is the follow up to his widely popular and best-selling Marshall Mathers LP and it lives up to the name. At first I was very unsure about this album but it slowly grew on me after a few listens. Right from the beginning the songs make it feel like this album is in fact a sequel unfortunately it isn't perfect but very few sequels are. The production value on a handful of songs are very poor and I feel like a lot of songs don't fit in the "Marshall Mathers" realm. The lyrical themes definitely fit the bill and are sure to anger your mothers again which is exactly what I would expect. He samples Billy Squier and Joe Walsh which I really enjoy and pays homage to the hip hop world to prove that Eminem is not some recovering junkie but a very creative individual. This album could have been better but it's still a good album which I will continue to listen to.…Expand

As a huge Eminem fan over the past years, I can say that I truly miss older songs such as "Mockingbird." Some of the songs on this album make me cringe, while others are truly a message from god. It's ok though, I'm sure his next album will be even better than The first Marshall Mathers LP (aka his best album.)

At first listening, that's great noticing a complex diversity of genres. Different music and different way of singin also. But wtf with Eminem, i used to like him like anybody singer i like, but making talk bout him with clash for instance Lana del Rey. What does he got in mind, he doesnt need that i guess. Plus she did not do nothing. Too bad we got a pretty good singer with no brain

as a fan of Eminem this album was not as great as i hoped for. one of the flaws this albums suffers from is its lack of cohesion. Some of the tracks dont belong together on on the same album. the production and subject matter change quite frequently ranging from slow jams of apologizing, to old Eminem. to pop oriented tracks and rock sampled tracks. The fact also that Eminem is trying toas a fan of Eminem this album was not as great as i hoped for. one of the flaws this albums suffers from is its lack of cohesion. Some of the tracks dont belong together on on the same album. the production and subject matter change quite frequently ranging from slow jams of apologizing, to old Eminem. to pop oriented tracks and rock sampled tracks. The fact also that Eminem is trying to fit in the pop scene is excruciating when years prior he used to diss it numerous number of times. i understand that a few songs on here hes trying to show some maturity, but that concept is destroyed by some of the tracks that have him displaying the old Eminem. In conclusion the album seems to lack a direction of whom its trying to reach out towards. his lyrical wordplay is good as always but at times it seems he losing the ability to connect with people. his attempts to show a new Eminem, along with the old Eminem, rock sampled tracks, slow jams. and pop sound tracks dont really make this album a classic.…Expand